Myles Garrett says Derrick Henry is big and fast like him, but Browns can't show fear

Imagine Myles Garrett receiving a handoff 8 yards deep, getting a running start and taking on defensive backs 60 pounds lighter than him.The Browns won't have to stretch their mind's eye. Tennessee's Derrick Henry awaits Sunday in Tennessee."He is going to be up on you in a quick second," Garrett, the 6-foot-4, 272-pound defensive end, said Friday. "He is athletic. He is fast and big. Just kind of like me back there taking the handoffs or trying to run you over."Do not show fear. It is just another guy back there playing ball. No disrespect. Just as simple as that. Growing up in the yard, you did not have any fear of your friends, your cousins or whoever came down the street to play, so do not show any fear now."Henry is a unicorn of a running back. He's 6-3, 247 pounds with breakaway speed. He won the rushing title last year with 1,540 yards and leads this year with 1,257.The key to preventing him from wrecking the game is to not let him get started."Keep him from picking up a head of steam," Garrett said. "This guy, when he gets on the edges, you see he is as tough as anybody and almost tougher than everyone else in the league to get down. He runs hard on the outside and on the edges, and he has a stiff-arm that guys fear."You just have to go in there fearless, grab a body part, gator roll him and take him down. Can't be nervous. Can't shy away from the challenge."Myles Garrett says COVID-19 "kicked my butt, now I'm back," plans to pick up where he left offThe linemen are the only defenders who weigh more than Henry. If they can get into the backfield and make him stop his feet, the linebackers and defensive backs would be appreciative."Anytime you can stop that train from getting on the tracks, it is going to help a lot," said cornerback Kevin Johnson, who will start in place of Denzel Ward (calf) for the second straight week.The Titans have a solid scheme under coordinator Arthur Smith, and Henry benefits from good blocking. When he gets in space and gets those big thighs pumping, it looks like he feels nothing when cornerbacks and safeties try to wrap him up."Obviously he's bigger, stronger and faster than all the other running backs in the NFL," linebacker Malcolm Smith told The Chronicle-Telegram. "He's definitely got that going for him."The numbers illustrate how special he is.Henry's scored 12 touchdowns and averaged 4.9 yards a carry to go with the 1,257 yards this year. He has three straight 100-yard games (seven this year), including 178 and three touchdowns last week in a win vs. the Colts. Last year he became the ninth player in NFL history with 300 rushes, 5.0 a carry and 15 touchdowns."He is outstanding. He is physical. He is fast. He is just an outstanding running back," coach Kevin Stefanski said. "I really believe it is having 11 guys on defense at the ball. It is not one person's job to try to stop Derrick Henry. He is too good of a player." "It is definitely going to be a thing where everybody has to show up at the party," Johnson said.Browns-Titans Preview: 3 things to watch, 3 key numbers, the predictionThe Titans aren't shy about their plan. They lead the league with 357 rushing attempts, while the Browns are fourth with 352. Facing Henry would seem to require a shift in approach, but the Browns would like to play with the same mindset every week."We always pride ourselves on running to the ball and tackling," coordinator Joe Woods said."It's one of those things that you'd like to think you wouldn't change the way you play for one person, but you do have to respect his skill set," Smith said.Henry is a big guy and a big-play threat. In five years in the league he has eight touchdowns of 65 yards, including a 75-yard screen in a 43-13 win over the Browns in last year's opener. He has eight touchdown runs of 50 yards.The Browns rank ninth in run defense, allowing 108.2 yards. Their two worst performances came with Garrett sidelined or hobbled, but he's back this week after missing two games with COVID-19."He's capable of so much, he's so athletic, he's so flexible, he's strong at the point of contact," Smith said. "Him and OV (end Olivier Vernon), they're blessed guys. Physically they are really gifted, they've got a lot of the skills you want in an athlete, that you dream for. That when you close your eyes and envision yourself making plays and doing stuff, those are some things those guys can actually do. It's nice to have them on my team."